Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 168: The Traveler Enters the Mountain, the Bull Demon King Deploys His Troops

But Tang Monk was worried and at a loss, for he was afraid that he would not be able to cross the mountain and there would be no hope of continuing his journey to the west.

Tang Seng dismounted and wept, saying, "My disciple, if you are so sad, if we go forward, we will be harmed. How can we worship Buddha?"

The Monkey King held Tang Seng’s hand and said, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Don’t be moved by the Buddha’s heart. No matter how many difficulties there are, if your heart is not moved, your soul will not be frightened. No matter how fierce the obstacles are on the road ahead, they will not harm you. Besides, I will protect you and ensure that you will have no obstacles on your way to the west.”

Tang Seng asked: "Disciple, you often tell me to keep my soul calm, but where is this soul?"

The traveler replied, "It is indescribable. I just know that when you are often frightened, angry, or greedy, it must be that your original spirit is frightened and no longer clear. So you should calm your mind and observe the precepts."

Tang Seng clasped his hands and said, "My disciple, what you said makes sense. I will follow your advice."

Zhu Bajie came forward and said, "Brother, you talk nicely, but how do we get there? Give me some rules."

The Monkey King said, "Don't be anxious, you fool. According to what Taibai Xingjun said, there are many monsters in the mountains. I will go and find out what's going on. I will catch a monster and use my skills to scare it. I will make it afraid and look for a way out. If we can get through quietly, that will be good. If not, we will make a big fuss. No matter what obstacles are ahead, I will conquer them and ensure your passage to the West."

Sha Wujing said: "Big Brother, you should be careful."

The traveler said, "That's a relief."

Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, how come you are so polite now? When you saw Li Changgeng in the past, if you didn't call him by his name, you would call him 'old man', 'old star' or 'old angel'. How come you call him Star Lord now? It's very rare."

The Monkey King grabbed Zhu Bajie and said, "To cultivate one's mind, one must first cultivate one's heart. To learn the Dao, one must first learn etiquette. Since we want to return to the right path, we should learn both the mind and etiquette."

Zhu Bajie turned a deaf ear.

The Monkey King was about to leave, but he changed his mind, walked to Sha Wujing's side, and said, "Brother Sha, you are a real person. When I'm not around, you should be careful of this fool's nonsense. If he dares to talk nonsense, just say my name and say that I will definitely deal with him when I come back."

Sha Wujing naturally agreed.

The traveler felt relieved and somersaulted off to the Lion Camel Mountain.

In a moment, the traveler arrived in the mountains. He opened his eyes wide and saw no monsters in the mountains. If there were monsters gathering in the mountains, they would be practicing martial arts with spears and sticks every day.

Such as his Flower-Fruit Mountain and his brother Bull Demon King’s Cuiyun Mountain.

How come there is not a single monster in this Lion Camel Mountain? How can this be explained?

The traveler was puzzled and said, "Wait a minute, let me take a deeper look."

The traveler was about to ride the cloud forward when he suddenly heard a tinkling sound. He lowered his head and saw a little demon carrying a flag with the word "Ling" on it and beating a clapper in his hand. It turned out to be a mountain patroller.

The Monkey King wanted to get some information about the mountains from him, so he transformed himself into a monster that looked like a little demon, and also banged the gong and carried the flag, but his clothes were a few inches longer. He went up to the little demon and greeted him. After a conversation, he recognized him and found out that the little demon was "Little Zuanfeng", a mountain patroller. The Monkey King suddenly had an idea and said that he was "Chief Zuanfeng", which scared the little demon and made him call him "sir".

Seeing that he had frightened the little demon, the Monkey King asked, "Tell me now what abilities the three great kings in your family have."

The little demon asked, "Sir, why are you still asking me? The king has ordered us to be on guard against Sun Wukong. Are you Sun Wukong in disguise?"

The Monkey King shouted, "I am on guard against you. The King has ordered us to be on guard against Monkey King Sun. I have heard that Monkey King Sun is very good at changing his appearance, so I am afraid that he will change into your appearance and try to trick me. I am asking you to tell the King about you, because I want to see if you are Monkey King Sun in disguise."

The little demon said in panic, "Sir, I am not the transformed Sun Wukong."

The Monkey King said, "Since you are not, tell me what abilities the three great kings of my family have."

The little demon said, "Master, I will tell you right now that the king has great magical powers. His body can grow or shrink. When he is big, he can support the heavens, but when he is small, he is as small as a vegetable seed. He once tried to swallow 100,000 heavenly soldiers in one gulp, and frightened them into retreating back to the South Heaven Gate, not daring to fight. His abilities are truly great."

The traveler asked, "How is the second king?"

The little demon replied, "The Second King is thirty feet tall, and has a very sharp nose, like a dragon. If he fights with someone, he only needs to use his nose to sweep him away, and he will be invincible. Even if he is made of iron or bronze, his soul will be shattered."

The traveler asked again, "What do the three kings say?"

The little demon said, "The three great kings are amazing, they are not monsters from the world of Jambu. Their name is the Cheng Wanli Peng, and they can fly 90,000 miles with one flap. They also have a treasure in their bodies, called the 'Yin Yang Two Qi Bottle'. If you put a person in the bottle, you will turn into pulp in a moment. Moreover, the three great kings are not the Great King of Lion Camel Mountain. There is already a Great King and the Second Great King in Lion Camel Mountain."

The traveler asked, "Where did the three great kings come from?"

The little demon said, "The three kings originally lived in a country four hundred miles west of here. That country was originally called Lion Country. Five hundred years ago, the three kings ate all the civil and military officials in the country, including the king. Even the men and women in the country were eaten clean, and then they seized this residence. Later, they heard that Tang Monk was a good man who practiced for ten lifetimes, and eating a piece of his meat would make one immortal. But they also heard that Tang Monk had a disciple named Sun Xingzhe, also known as Sun Wukong, who made a big fuss in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago and was very powerful, so they came to become brothers with the king and the second king to plot against Tang Monk."

When Monkey heard this, he became extremely angry. Firstly, he was angry at the monster for plotting against Monk Tang, and secondly, he was angry at the monster for committing so many evil things and eating so many people.

He also asked the little demon whether he usually ate people.

The little demon only ate human flesh for three meals a day.

When the Monkey King heard this, he became furious and drew out his golden cudgel, and with one blow, he killed the man.

The traveler was no longer suspicious. Knowing what was happening in the cave, he wanted to go in and take a look to find out the truth.

When the Monkey King entered and approached the Lion's Cave, he really saw tens of thousands of demons training. The Monkey King was a clever man, so he went forward and deceived them, telling them about the powers of the Monkey King. This frightened the tens of thousands of demons, and they fled in panic.

When the traveler saw that the demons were driven away, he was in a good mood and walked into the cave again. As soon as he entered the cave, he became furious.

But on both sides of the cave entrance, there were "skulls like mountains, bones like forests, human hair like felt pieces, human flesh rotted into mud, and human tendons entangled on trees, dry and shiny like silver."

Looking further inside, I saw "a little demon in the east, cutting the flesh of living people, and a demon in the west, boiling and cooking human flesh."

It was a place where demons were dancing everywhere and there were mountains of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The traveler gritted his teeth and walked inside. If it weren't for the Great Sage's heroic courage, anyone else would have been unable to enter this place. The fact that the traveler entered the house will not be mentioned for the time being.

……

The story begins in Xiniu Hezhou, in the Cuiyun Mountain.

The Bull Demon King rode a cloud back to the Banana Cave. When the Rakshasa woman heard that the king had returned, she brought Red Boy to see him.

The Bull Demon King sat high up in the center of the stage, exchanging pleasantries with his wife and children, before he said, "Madam, I came back this time for something important."

The Rakshasa woman asked, "What's the matter, my king? Didn't you go to protect the Dharma earlier? Why are you coming back now?" The Bull Demon King said, "Earlier, I helped you to subdue the Water Ape Great Sage in Huaihe River in Southern Jambu Continent. I defeated the Water Ape Great Sage seven times and made him accept the truth. I feel that my dear brother Wukong is in some trouble, so I asked you to come and help."

The Rakshasa woman said, "Since uncle needs help, why don't you hurry over? Why go home? Things have their priorities. Don't delay this matter. You can go home anytime."

The Bull Demon King shook his head and said, "Madam, you don't know that the only thing that can stop Wukong on the journey to the west is the Lion Camel Mountain. I have heard that the Lion Camel Mountain has committed many evil deeds and has countless soldiers and horses. If I go alone to help, I am afraid I will not be able to do it, so I came to mobilize the troops."

The Rakshasa woman bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please call up the troops. The king of the mountain has left, but your reputation has spread far and wide because of the battle with uncle. Many monsters have come to join you. I will only keep those who follow the good and eliminate all those who do evil. There are a total of 15,000 or 16,000 soldiers in the mountain, and 3,000 elite soldiers."

The Bull Demon King said with emotion: "With my wife in the mountains, I have nothing to worry about."

The Rakshasa woman smiled and said, "Your Majesty, we are husband and wife, there is no need to talk about this. Your Majesty, please quickly dispatch troops to help your uncle."

The Bull Demon King said, "Since there are 15,000 to 16,000 soldiers and 3,000 elite soldiers in the mountain, I will dispatch 2,000 elite soldiers and 10,000 soldiers to help, and the rest will stay in the mountain to help Madam defend the mountain."

Luoshadao replied.

The Bull Demon King was about to lead his troops to fight, but Red Boy stopped him and said, "Father, I will go with you to help you, uncle."

The Bull Demon King took a closer look and saw that it was Red Boy, so he refused and said, "You are still young. This battle is very dangerous and extraordinary. You should wait at home and don't take any risks."

Red Boy said, "Father, don't forget that I have been training with you for a long time. I have martial arts skills and I am very skilled. If there is a fight, I will not be weak. Besides, my uncle and I have a close relationship. If my uncle is in trouble, I will definitely help him."

The Bull Demon King laughed in silence, this child of his was loved by the master since he was young, who let him eat wind and drink dew, and then he followed the immortal to practice, and had experience for a long time, so his abilities were not weak.

He then said, "Forget it, forget it, forget it. Since you want to come with me, let's go. Let the evil spirits on the road to the west see the power of my father and I."

The Rakshasa woman did not stop him, but her eyes were filled with worry, and she repeatedly reminded Red Boy to be careful.

Red Boy bowed to the Rakshasa woman and said, "Father, please take my Five Elements Chariot with you. Red Boy is not afraid of the monster from Lion Camel Mountain."

The Bull Demon King agreed and said, "My child, the three demons of Lion Camel Mountain are famous on the journey to the West. Don't be careless. Your uncle Wukong has great abilities, but I'm afraid he won't be able to get through this place."

Red Boy said, "I am not afraid."

The father and son talked for a while, then gathered their troops and headed for Lion Camel Mountain.

……

In the Huaihe River water palace.

Jiang Yuan was there, chatting with the Water Ape Great Sage, who had prepared a banquet for him. Zuo Liang was also beside him. He watched the Water Ape Great Sage dismiss batches of his wives and concubines, but most of them were unwilling to leave and stayed in the water palace to accompany the Water Ape Great Sage.

Zuo Liang was puzzled when he saw this, and asked in a low voice: "Sir, what do you mean? The Water Palace has no gold or silver, nor has it any wealth or luxury. These women were abducted. How come so many people are so devoted to them?"

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

The Great Water Ape Sage had heard about his practice and sat at the table. He replied, "Old man, you only know one thing, not the other."

Zuo Liang stood up, bowed, and said, "I'd like to hear the details."

The Water Ape Great Sage said, "Although my wives and concubines were captured, most of them are poor people. In today's world, no one cares about them. If they stay at home, how can they have a good ending? You are a human being. If you give birth to a girl, will you be treated the same as a boy? In my water palace, you can be free."

Zuo Liang was moved and said, "I'm grateful for your advice."

The Great Ape Sage laughed and said, "Besides, I have a method for fierce fighting. How can you, an old man, know the fun of it?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang remained silent.

Jiang Yuan said, "You, you should turn back to the right path now. Remember to practice cultivation and don't do anything wrong again."

When the Water Ape Sage saw Jiang Yuan speaking, he replied solemnly, "Master, since you have agreed, I will abide by the precepts and never do evil again."

Jiang Yuan was about to say something else.

Suddenly a sailor came to report that Lei Cao wanted to see the real person.

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he realized that Lei Cao was the one who had informed him outside the river earlier, so he asked the Water Ape Great Sage to let the person in.

Lei Cao entered the Water Palace and kowtowed to the Immortal again and again.

Jiang Yuan asked, "Now that the Great Water Ape Sage has turned over a new leaf and is no longer causing trouble, you can rest assured."

Lei Cao bowed and said, "Master, I am not here for the Water Ape Great Sage. I was harmed by a villain in the past, so I was demoted to the lower world. I hope Master can understand my injustice."

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time and said, "What's the point of you telling me about your grievances? I have never received an immortal certificate. I am just a Taiyi immortal from the lower world. How can I listen to your grievances?"

Lei Cao shed tears and said, "My words are not taken seriously. My grievances have not reached the ears of the gods, so I have nowhere to seek redress. My crime is not serious, not as serious as that of Tian Peng and Juan Lian. I will only be banished to the lower world for three years and then I can return to heaven. However, this matter is related to the cultivators in the human world, so please let the immortal know."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is it related to the practitioners in the human world? Tell me about it."

Lei Cao's eyes were filled with tears as he said, "From the various Dharma lineages in the Jambu world, many practitioners have the ability to borrow Dharma. If we were not there when they wanted to borrow Dharma, we would be guilty. If it was normal, it would be fine. However, some practitioners have dirty hearts. Because I don't get along with them, they choose to borrow Dharma from me when I'm busy. I didn't come, so I was guilty. Fortunately, the priest was kind and only demoted me to the lower world for three years, otherwise my life would be in danger."

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he knew what had happened and had an idea in his mind. He just let Lei Cao go back and made a note of the matter.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape didn't care about such things. He returned to cultivation, protected the land, and kept the Huai River from being disturbed. If there was a flood in the world, he would go there. But there was no need to go there at this time. When he saw Lei Cao leaving, he carefully asked Jiang Yuan about some matters of cultivation.

When Jiang Yuan saw the Water Ape Great Sage in this state, he did not laugh at him. He only said that those who wished to hear the truth would have their doubts resolved.

……

Time flies, and before I know it, two or three days have passed.

But the Monkey King transformed himself and made a commotion in the Lion's Cave in order to test the three demons. However, the Demons saw through the clues and discovered that it was actually a monkey's tail. The Monkey King did not have the full range of destiny in the universe and did not have a human body, which was a disaster in the end.

The Monkey King was not careful for a moment and was tied up by the three demons. The big peng took out the bottle of yin and yang energy and put the Monkey King into the bottle. The bottle was very powerful and the Monkey King could not get out. It was a time of danger.

(End of this chapter)